I finally got around to installing my new 3.5" MAF sensor for my shortstar engine. This was the biggest PITA I've done on my car before. Summitt Racing claimed that the new sensor was a direct replacement for the stock sensor and that no modifications were required... WRONG! The stock ducting is all 3" while the sensor is 3.5." Furthermore, the new sensor is about a half inch longer than the stock one. I used all new ducting in order to make this sensor fit. (it was very tight BTW.) First onto the pictures:

This is the reason for changing sensors. Notice how restrictive the screen is on the stock one. The stock sensor is also made of solid metal and weighs a good 5 pounds or so. The Granatelli MAF weighs around one pound as it'* made from heat-resistant plastic. The new components will not allow heat to soak into the intake as easily as the stock setup did.

The stock setup also had this ugly bend that caused quite a bit of turbulence as the air went from the MAF sensor to the TB.


You can see how obstructive the bend is after you look through the pipe. It'* by no means a "straight shot."


and now to the aftermarket...

No screen... free flowing!


no nasty bends to make...


completed and installed:

I know, the blue part right by the airbox is out of place. The place I ordered from did not have anything in the color black at the time of my ordering. I will replace it later once black becomes available. Other than that it was worth it as far as I can tell now. As advertised, throttle response has been increased and all around the power is more smooth. It isn't like it was before where it was dead on the low end and the power would eventually come. It'* somewhat more of an even power distribution. The best part of it all is that the whistle that I heard under heavy throttle from the intake is now gone. I attribute that to the bend in the intake, but I'm not sure if it was from that really, or not. I tried to take videos, but my camera is having a software malfunction, and my camera phone takes such low quality video that you can't even make the speedometer out. :(
http://media.putfile.com/07-03-06-1130

It'* grainy to the max, but I think that was a 35-65 MPH full throttle run. I'll try and figure out why my camera that takes decent video is being such a PITA.

I wonder if the Jet MAF would have been a better fit, or if it'* even the same exact part? Have you seen that one on their site?

The MAF screen typically won't gain you anything, but it CAN cost you. If you have turbulence caused by your piping (typically factory accordian tubes) the MAF screen is necessary to straighten out the airflow to get an accurate reading. Looks like you solved that problem. But your gains were from the larger diameter and smoothing out the flow, not from the screen removal (most likely).

Good job. You might want to keep the blue and just insulate it further with the Cool Tube I used on my ADTR pipe. You'll never see the blue, and you'll run cooler. Have you scanned yet?

I originally was going to go with the Jet MAF sensor, but it was $389 VS the $289 for the Granatelli so I went that route. I'm not sure if the JET was 3" or 3.5" like this one. I'm not sure if I'll use the insulator on it or not yet. I really was hoping to keep the car looking as stock as possible while increasing the performance. That'* why I was so dissapointed that the coupler was blue instead of black, and why I didn't use a custom CAI pipe, instead of the stock airbox. I'll have to see how this works out as-is for now. If I notice a decrease in performance due to heat, I'll definately see about that intake wrap like you have so it actually reflects heat, and doesn't hold it in. I would scan it, but I d on't have any access to a scanner to see if I get any KR or anything like that. I only have a code-scanner, not real time. :(

Glad you finally got everything together to install it. Sounds like it should definitely flow better than stock! Where did you get the couplers? Thanks for all the info and good luck with the results.

very interesting. Right around 4-5000 RPM my tires now break loose under WOT. 4-5000 RPM in first gear is right around 40 MPH! That means that from a dead stop, if I floor it, the tires don't spin, but once I get to around 40 MPH they then start spinning. That'* insane. Just an interesting fact, but peak torque on the 3.5 is at 4,400 RPM so that sounds about right. Notice in the first video that the traction control light doesn't turn on until I'm almost near 5,000 RPM, and 40 MPH! (watch to the left of the tachometer.) The tires did not start spinning until that speed. Also, notice in the second video that at 4,500 RPM the power is cut off drastically, then it'* returned. WTF is that? Is that torque management or what? The low traction light did not turn on in that video, so I don't think it lost traction that time, but the timing was definately cut.. you can tell by looking at the tachometer at 4,500 RPM or so. What do you think this is?

Video one.
http://media.putfile.com/DSCN0518-66


and Video Two:
http://media.putfile.com/DSCN0519


I bought my couplers from http://www.siliconeintakes.com/

couldnt you just spray paint that blue piece?

Also..the sound of your engine...IS ADDICTING, i have to keep listenting to it!!!!

Glad to hear it'* worked out for ya Custom and encouraged to find your getting better performance. Will W send me a link to the Jet page and they know sell a electronic controller that bypasses the PCM to do a host of things like set the timing. With the new Maf and this controller , things are looking up for the Northstar and I'm tickled pink. When my present distractions are finished Iplan to install that MAF, the Jet controller and an exhaust cutout and hopefully up my nitrous. Looks like maybe this GXP might fly after all. Great mod and info BUD!